Captain Graeme Shinnie warns Aberdeen need to be willing to “put their bodies on the line” to salvage the season.
The midfielder agrees with interim manager Neil Warnock’s stark assessment that the Dons were bullied in a 2-0 loss at Kilmarnock.
Shinnie reckons the struggling Reds, who have failed to win any of their last eight Premiership matches, are “too nice”.
The 32-year-old says Aberdeen are an “honest bunch of guys” but admits that does not win games.
Aberdeen trail fourth-placed Kilmarnock by 13 points as hopes of finishing fourth are fading fast.
The Dons are only five points ahead of 11th-placed Ross County who occupy the relegation play-off zone.
Aberdeen supporters booed the Dons at full-time at Rugby Park and Shinnie says their frustration is understandable.
He said: “We are too nice and conceding the goals that we are shows that.
“We need more doggedness in us, more desire to keep the ball out, to make blocks, to put our bodies on the line.
“They’re an honest bunch of boys, a great bunch but that doesn’t win you games.
“We need to start being more horrible on the pitch – that’s what Killie are good at.
“Killie are strong defensively, they’ll get in and head it, they’ll get it forward and the two big men up front will fight and battle.
“That’s why they’ve been so successful, but we’ve been the opposite.
“We’re too easy to bully.”
‘It’s understandable that the fans booed us off’
Many of the 908-strong travelling Red Army booed the Dons at full-time at Rugby Park.
Aberdeen have won only six of 26 Premiership matches this season.
Shinnie said: “It’s understandable that the fans booed us off at the end.
“They’ve travelled three, four hours to see that and it wasn’t good enough.”
Frustration at defensive frailty
Kilmarnock netted through a goal from Corrie Ndaba in first half injury time before former Dons winger Matty Kennedy doubled their advantage after the break.
In the aftermath of the loss to Kilmarnock interim gaffer Warnock issued a brutal assessment of the Dons, saying they were bullied and needed to get nasty.
When asked about Warnock’s comments, Shinnie said: “At times that’s fair.
“I think the second goal justifies it – it’s too easy for them from a throw-in, from nothing really.
“A couple of movements and they’re in on goal.
“It’s been the story of our season really.
“The goals we keep losing aren’t good enough.
“Last week we scored five goals at home (3-3 Motherwell, 2-2 Hibs) but didn’t pick up a win.
“It is not good enough and we need to be a lot better defensively.
“And that is not just the back four and the goalkeeper, it is the whole team.”
Brought ‘right back down to earth’
Aberdeen interim boss Warnock is still searching for his first Premiership win since his appointment until the end of the season.
Under his watch the Dons have drawn two and lost two league fixtures.
Despite the absence of a league win under Warnock club captain Shinnie said there there was much positivity at Pittodrie.
However the Dons were sent crashing back down to earth with a sobering loss at Kilmarnock.
He said: “You know what’s coming, right from the kick off (against Kilmarnock).
“I don’t know what it was like to watch, but it didn’t feel great to play in.
“There were a lot of long balls, a lot of fouls, it was really stop-start and there didn’t feel like there was much in it.
“Then they score from a set-piece right on half-time and that changes a lot.
“We said in the dressing room that we couldn’t afford to lose the second goal.
“So not just to lose it but the way we did is really frustrating.
“It has been strange, I’m not going to lie.
“Bar the opening 30 minutes against Motherwell (where Dons went 3-0 down) we battered them for the rest of the game.
“Hibs was a pretty positive performance but the goals we conceded weren’t good enough and that’s the frustration there.
“Even though we didn’t beat Motherwell or Hibs at home there was a bit of positivity around the place and it is was not all doom and gloom.
“But this has brought us right back down to earth.”
Clash with St Johnstone is ‘massive’
Aberdeen will bid for a first league win under Warnock at the fifth attempt when hosting St Johnstone at Pittodrie on Wednesday.
Shinnie understands the importance of the fixture.
He said: “We have St Johnstone at home next and that becomes massive.”
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